I love this quote. There is a place for activity, it is absolutely needed, but there comes a time when there is too much activity and not enough rest, without rest there is reduced creativity and at times it seems to disappear completely.
I firmly believe that there must be a bit of all 3 in order to avoid burnout. And I don’t think I’m the only one. Some of the best books I have read on this cycle are by Julia Cameron and her book “The Artist’s Way”* and Todd Henry’s “The Accidental Creative“*.
There has to be some sort of balance or at the very least a give-n-take of these different areas or we will slide into trouble. Personally I’m not convinced that there can be a work/life balance, I’m beginning to think that is an ideal most of us get frustrated with in trying to achieve and get down on ourselves because we can’t seem to find it.
I wish I could remember who said this, it was in a podcast I listened to last week – “forget balance I’m working towards alignment” and that struck a chord with me. Is my business, the time I spend on self-care, and the time I spend with my family, are these in alignment with my beliefs? With what I have said are my priorities?
There have been countless times over the years where I have realized that what I have said are my priorities are not reflected in where I focus my time and attention. It is a wake-up call and requires intentional decision-making to stay in alignment and sometimes it takes someone else to point it out.
Are you nurturing these different areas in your life? How?
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Marta Goertzen is an entrepreneur, writer and nature photographer. She daily explores the trails and beaches of the South Central Oregon Coast with her buddy Bailey. You can follow along on their adventures on Instagram. She is also the author of several books including her newest, “Confident Hope: A Daily Quiet Time Journal”. Start your own daily gratitude practice with our, “7 Days of Gratitude Challenge – A Gratitude Journal Starter Kit”.